


Two of a Kind

by theauthor2010



Category: Glee
Genre: Gen, Homophobia, Suicide Attempt
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-05-30
Updated: 2012-05-30
Packaged: 2017-11-06 08:44:32
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 7,576
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/416968
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/theauthor2010/pseuds/theauthor2010
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Dave Karofsky and Unique Adams meet at Scandals and strike up a rare friendship; it is the kind of friendship that occurs between people who are truly two of a kind.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

"How do you know him?"

Dave paused and looked up, finding himself face to face with a drag queen. She was wearing a sparkling silver dress and heels and had a short wig. Her makeup was bright but rather demure compared to the drag queens he'd seen in his past couple of Wednesdays at Scandals. He honestly didn't know what she was talking about for a minute, still completely overwhelmed by the brief but powerful conversation she had with Kurt Hummel.

Oh wait, Kurt. That was talking about. "Oh, you mean Kurt," he said softly, waiting for some kind of confirmation that she was indeed talking about Kurt.

She nodded eagerly. "Kurt Hummel is one of my idols," she said softly. "My brother goes to McKinley high school and I've…I've been one of Kurt's biggest fans since he sent me a video of his performance with the McKinley Cheerios. He and Mercedes Jones from McKinley are like…the ultimate power duo. I've been to every performance they've ever done. I've…never talked to them though, because I'm totally afraid I'd make a fool of myself."

She talked fast, excitedly. Dave was overwhelmed by her presence. "You're a fan of Kurt's?" he asked. "Because of a video that you were sent of his performance…" Awkwardly enough, Dave knew exactly what performance the fabulous creature in front of him was speaking of. He remembered sitting in the back row of the bleachers, staring in shock and awe as Kurt and Mercedes performed a Madonna song. It was flawless and had made him hate himself as he stewed in his sexuality confusion. "That's interesting. People don't usually…become fans of random kids…"

"I know, it's weird," she said shrugging. "Still, he's absolutely amazing. How do you know him?"

"We used to go to school together," Dave said. He realized the moment that he said it that he'd given away the fact that he was underage. She seemed to know Kurt was, however, probably was herself and there weren't many people at Scandals who would be telling anything. It didn't matter. "I used to go to McKinley but I transferred to Thurston this year." He shrugged, trying to make the conversation very casual.

"Ah, McKinley," she said. "I've heard the horror stories. I go to Carmel, but I'm actually in the boundaries to go to McKinley. My brother stayed, but I had to transfer. I didn't even dare. I heard if I could get into Vocal Adrenaline then I'd be safe at Carmel. Why'd you transfer?"

Dave and the drag queen exchanged a glance that made them both smile. "I bet you can guess," he said, laughing.

"Anyone who has to escape to Scandals doesn't belong in that cesspool of suckage." She flipped her head, wig swishing dramatically. "This place isn't the best, but it's all that people like us have here. Anyway, we just had a massive conversation without even introducing ourselves. I go by Unique, honey."

That was fitting. Dave smiled. "I'm Dave."

"Nice to meet you, Dave," she said sweetly, looking over his shoulder to where Kurt was dancing with his boyfriend. He had physically forced himself between his boyfriend and that creepy Sebastian kid. Who the hell did Blaine think he was? Dave sighed and watched as Unique stared at Kurt with a type of longing on her face.

"You know you really should go say hello to him," Dave said. "He's a really nice guy. He's not going to shoot you down and he'll probably be flattered, if not a little weirded out by the fact that he has a fan."

"It's the weirded out part I'm afraid of," she said wisely. 

After their initial meeting, Dave and Unique became friends. Since Wednesday was one of the few days that he could sneak out of his house to go to Scandals, they saw each other often. She was a fixture in his life and one of the few good friends he had, considering the fact that none of his friends at Thurston could really be considered friends. Dave knew for a fact that if they ever found out the truth about him, then those friendships would be gone.

They talked a lot and despite the fact that they had little in common, they always enjoyed talking to each other. Unique was bright and sassy, but there was a part of her that was shy too. Dave had to wonder what she was like when she was at school, a regular old boy. It was weird to think about and something he couldn't even imagine. He voiced that curiosity during one of their nights sitting at the bar, drinking and talking.

"This is me," she said, rolling her eyes as she slid him a school picture. "Wade Adams. Not very exciting and well, absolutely nothing to write home about. I much prefer Unique."

The conversation often turned to Kurt, because Unique was as obsessed as Dave was. Eventually, Dave admitted to being Kurt's old bully. "I made his life at school a living hell," he said, shaking his head and looking up at her. "I was so scared of not being seen a certain way. I was so scared that someone would see through what I thought was a transparent disguise that I amped it up and hurt him so much. I was awful."

He even ended up telling Unique about the kiss. "I understand what you were feeling when you did it," she assured him. "Sometimes emotion and feeling becomes so much more than thought and logic. It overrides everything else, right? The only thing that really matters, Dave, is that you're a different person."

As much as Unique talked about Kurt, Dave talked about Kurt back. He talked about how much he admired Kurt and how brave and strong he was. He talked about the Born This Way performance and every other opportunity that he'd had to see Kurt in his element. He admired him so much and he told her every little detail.

"You're in love with him honey," she told him one night.

Dave was absolutely caught off guard by the statement. "I'm…I'm not," he said. That was when he'd started thinking about it however. Was he in love with Kurt? It was possible. He had felt so many strong things for the boy when he'd seen him walking around McKinley, so proud of the one thing that Dave himself was so ashamed of. He was brave, loyal and the best friend to those who truly loved him. He was Dave's hero. Maybe Dave was in love with him.

He'd barely been able to focus when she dragged him out on the dance floor and they danced together. She was definitely loosening him up, but it wasn't fair to drag him onto the dance floor when she'd just dropped that bombshell on him, a bombshell Dave knew was true. 

Unique came out to Dave after they'd been friends for about a month. She had been in a particularly bad mood and was looking around the bar dejectedly, drink clutched in one hand. "I don't even fit in here," she said somberly, looking around and then back to Dave. "I'm not a drag queen." It was a harshly spoken confession and she looked scared of what he would say.

He tilted his head so that he could look at her better. He'd always known that instinctively; he'd always known that his friend wasn't like the other drag queens at Scandals, but he had been unsure as to what made her different. "No?"

She shook her head. "No," she said sweetly. "I've tried to act like I am, to fit in places like this but I'm not. The drag queens here, they loved dressing the way they do and it's a huge part of their identity, but they can go home and be Jack or Joe, even if they're full time queens. I…I try, but I can't. Unique…she's not just some drag persona or alter ego, even I…I call on her for strength when I try to be the me that I'm not. She is me; I am her."

Dave didn't really understand but he did all the same. "You're not a guy when you go home and take off the psychotic heels," he said sympathetically, hoping the lighthearted jab at his friend's crazy shoes would make her feel better.

She laughed, nodding. She looked so relieved that he at least minimally understood. "I'm a woman," she said, shaking her head. "Wade Adams may be who I was born, but this is me. I'm transgendered and well, Lima isn't full of immediate support for people like me."

"It does, however, love its drag queens," Dave quipped solemnly, trying to make her feel better.

"Only on Wednesday," she cracked back. They were much, much better friends after that had been shared between them.


	2. Chapter 2

Dave decided to do something about his feelings for Kurt on the first of February. It hit him instantly. He wanted to give Kurt a Valentine's Day worth remembering. He wasn't entirely sure if Kurt and his boyfriend were still dating, but he couldn't let that stand in his way. After all, Blaine had the audacity to be all up on Sebastian the last time Dave had seen him. Dave wanted to show Kurt just how much he was worth and how much he loved him. He was also terrified to do this.

"Maybe a disguise or alter ego would help?" Dave turned at those words and Unique shrugged. "I dunno much sweetie, but I do know that a disguise can do wonders for your confidence. I know firsthand how a change of clothes can give you courage. You're a romantic, Dave, but doing what you're planning to do is going to take guts."

Dave had to agree. He was thinking about doing something romantic but risky. He wanted to go the whole nine yards as an adoring secret admirer. He wanted Kurt to feel like the amazing person he was. He wanted to show him what he meant. He wanted to show Kurt that he loved him. "What kind of disguise could I pull off?" he asked. "Before you even think about it, I could never pull off the kind of high heels you're working."

She chuckled, grinning. She pat Dave on the shoulder. "I was thinking something that was like you – large scale and charmingly dorky."

"Like what?" he asked.

"Like…I dunno, a gorilla."

They planned it out, together. They spent a whole night at the bar planning out the little details. Dave would send Kurt chocolates, flowers and cards. He would make Kurt feel loved and would give him the whole secret admirer experience. He would show him just how desired and amazing that he really was.

"This is so exciting," Unique said as the plan was finalized. "Dave, I really, really wish you the best sweetie. Just, be aware that it might hurt…"

Dave realized how wrong his secret admirer plot could go. It could go wrong in so many ways but he tried to keep his head up. He just never predicted that it could go beyond wrong, into something terrible and life-changing.


	3. Chapter 3

On February 15th, Unique came home from Vocal Adrenaline practices absolutely exhausted. Her mind, however, wasn't on the bastard known as Jesse St. James. Her thoughts were on David, who had already confessed everything to Kurt Hummel. She wanted nothing more to know how it went and what he'd done. She was scared for Dave. He was such a brave, strong man. He had done so much for the boy he loved.

\-- David. What happened yesterday?

A few minutes with no reply and she added more.

\-- Sweetie, what happened? Are you okay?

She honestly texted him about fifteen times that day, but received absolutely no reply. It was way past midnight when she received a text back that just said "stop bugging me." She knew that it went bad and her heart broke a little. It wasn't fair at all. Dave was such a good person. She admired and adored Kurt Hummel more than anyone in the world, but if he rejected Dave's beautiful proposition then he was an absolute idiot. She would kill for a guy like Dave Karofsky to think the same of her.

\-- What happened? Can I do anything?

The final text she received back from Dave was a little bit on the heartbreaking side. The text said "Leave me alone Wade." The use of her birth name was harsh, enough to make her snap back to reality. She could read Dave like a book, honestly, so she wasn't made, just shocked. Dave Karofsky was the kind to push people away when he was hurting. He closed up, got aggressive and used what he knew would hurt most. She knew that she had to leave him alone for awhile.

It wasn't that hard for her to leave Dave alone for awhile, as slave driver Jesse St. James took up most of her time in the next week or two. He was such a dick. He kept pushing and pushing, insisting to the members of Vocal Adrenaline that two years ago, his Coach Shelby Corcoran had enlisted Dustin Goolsby to do the same thing. She was beyond fed up about it. Unfortunately that meant that she left her phone pretty much unattended for a week and a half.

When she finally got the wits about her to check her phone, she saw many calls from Dave. There were a lot of calls and many, many desperate voicemails and texts. When she called him back, however, she received his voicemail.

"Hey, Karofsky here. Leave a message."

Something was very, very wrong.

Unique was so worried, in fact, that she went to scandals the next Wednesday, totally decked out. She had to find out what was wrong with her Davey. He wasn't there, sadly, but after she'd grabbed a drink and started walking around, she was approached by a drag queen only known as Tina, because of her impressive Tina Turner get up. "Sweetie, I'm so sorry," she said, her eyes wide and tearful. "I just heard about that boy you always hang out with."

She stopped and stared, not sure what Tina meant. "What do you…what are you saying?" she asked. What had happened to Dave? Her heart started pounding in her chest. She wasn't sure what to think at those words.

"You didn't hear? Oh…we should go outside and talk about this."

That was how she found herself standing outside, face to face with a Tina Turner impersonator who was telling her that her friend had attempted suicide. "I dunno the details," Tina said softly, looking very sad. "I always knew he was younger than he claimed to be…the rumor mill is saying that he was being harassed, bullied and he eventually tried to hang himself." She had then found herself pulled into a big drag queen's arms.

She was beyond devastated. 

She was overwhelmed by guilt, even though she didn't know the circumstances surrounding Dave's suicide attempt. She had been the one to help David with his plans to pursue Kurt. Whatever had happened, it must have been related to what he'd done with Kurt. Dave had been fine the last time she'd seen him, hadn't he? Of course, she hadn't talked to him in the longest time and Vocal Adrenaline practices had left her unavailable. Oh God, he had called her for help. What if she could have saved him from what he'd done?

Still believing that the suicide attempt had to do with Kurt, she immediately signed online and checked the boy's Facebook page. The first status she saw at the top of his page made her turn away from the computer, devastated. It was true.

"I don't pray and never will, but keeping Dave Karofsky in my thoughts right now."

The next thing on his page, however, caught her eye. It was a link to Dave's Facebook wall, where Kurt had posted "I hope you all feel every ounce of the pain he felt. You did this. I hate you all!" This, of course, led her to follow the path to Dave's wall, where the words made her nauseated, sick to her stomach.

"Better luck next time, fag."

"Couldn't even do that right, could you?"

She exited out of the tab before she ended up vomiting. She couldn't believe the hate and malice in the world. She couldn't believe that what looked like Dave suddenly being outed as a gay man could lead to so much. She hated to admit it, but she honestly could see herself feeling just as hopeless if faced with that kind of venom. What was the point of living in a world that treated you like that for something as small and insignificant as what gender you were attracted to…or what gender you were…

Tears started to flow. She hated crying, and she hated the selfish turn her thoughts immediately took. She would never be able to come out. She would never be able to be open about being a woman. She would never be able to admit to the people around her who she truly was while she was in Ohio. If they tore Dave apart for being gay then she would never make it out alive as a woman. It just wasn't going to happen. She still had years to go before she could openly be Unique.

The selfish train of thought lifted and she immediately realized she had to go see Dave. He had to be in the hospital still. She could find him. She shook her head and prepared herself to figure out where the boy who had quickly become a best friend to her was. 

When Unique first visited Lima General to see if Dave was there, she felt completely without confidence or a sense of self. Fearing bringing more retaliation onto poor Dave, she had gone as Wade. It was uncomfortable and she barely had the confidence needed to ask the receptionist if Dave was at the hospital. When she finally did, the woman looked to her with sympathetic eyes. "Mr. Karofsky is on a seventy-two hour psychiatric watch and cannot have visitors at this moment," she said softly. "I promise you , though, that the staff is doing their best to support he and his family in this difficult time."

"Thank you sweetie," she said, sounding much more like herself than the boy she was presenting as. She walked out of the hospital with a strange sense of dread. The world around her just seemed like a more hostile, hateful place. Dave's biggest crime against those who bullied him was his sexuality. He was a good, strong, brave man. There was so much good in him, but it didn't matter to a world that just saw a label. He was gay.

As she was about to start walking home, her cell phone started to ring. She almost didn't pick it up until she saw the display. It read: Satan. That meant that Jesse St. James was calling and it also meant that she'd forgotten about rehearsal.

"Jesse," she answered. "Sorry I didn't show up to rehearsal."

"Wade, what the hell are you thinking? You were promised a solo for Regionals but only if you can keep your…"

"My friend is in the hospital, Jesse."

"You have no reason to be abandoning your obligations to Vocal Adrenaline and…"

She sighed and rolled her eyes. "Screw yourself, St. James," she said, before shutting the phone. There were times when Jesse intimidated her just like he did every other member of Vocal Adrenaline but today, Unique was not in the mood.

She waited patiently for the time to pass so that she could see her David. It wasn't easy but she waited for the wreckage to clear and for the community to deal with the fact that they'd almost lost him. She came to visit him as soon as she possibly could, standing at his door and knocking lightly on the door frame. She was still dressed as Wade, something that made her feel pretty much naked, but it was much easier on the world around them. Yes, she was catering to the world that sucked, after seeing what it had done to the boy she cared so much for.

Dave looked at her with shock in his eyes. "Unique…?" he asked. He was obviously shocked to see her dressed like she was.

She was shocked at the sight of him as well. Her heart literally broke at the sight of him. He was ghostly pale, with dark circles under his eyes and well, she didn't even have to ask how he'd tried to do it. She could see the tell-tale bruising around his neck. God, baby boy. It wasn't fair at all. "David, David, David," she whispered, trying to conceal the fact that she was on the verge of tears.

"I'm sorry," he said, the first words that he said to her. "I just couldn't take it anymore…"

She wrapped her arms around him and hugged him tightly, before letting go, embarrassed at her own extreme show of emotions. He laid back against the pillow, grunting and she pulled a chair up to his bedside. "I heard…Tina told me…and I couldn't believe it…

"You must think I'm an idiot," Dave said with a half-smile that was so painfully self-depreciating that it broke her heart. "I really didn't mean to. It just got to be too much. I…I revealed myself to Kurt on Valentine's Day like I said I was going to. This guy, one of the jocks from my school heard us talking and well, that was that. I was outed to the entire school. Turns out I found a high school that was more homophobic and awful than McKinley."

Her heart just kept breaking more and more. "Oh sweetie…"

"I tried to ignore it, but it spread around the whole school. People slammed me left and right. Horrible things on my locker…telling me to die and go to hell and that I was just a fag, you know?" Dave laughed bitterly. "I know it sounds so weak. I tried to kill myself after a week of bullying when Kurt went through it for months and months and is still standing stronger than ever. I think I might have made it if not for my mom though."

"Your mom, sweetie?" she asked.

Dave looked at her and nodded, vulnerably. "She told me that she could help me," he said bitterly. "Help me find a cure for this sickness, that is."

Rage filled her heart at that. How could anyone say that to their own son? "Oh baby," she said. She understood though, honestly. She was afraid that coming out as a woman could do the same to her family, even though she didn't know what to expect. People could be awful, even to their own children. It was just a fact. "You are such an amazing man, David. You have got to stay strong. I can't…you can't go it alone anymore. You need to get people's help."

He nodded, looking up at her brokenly. "I talked to Kurt earlier," he said. "He gave me some…courage I guess. He told me not to let go and to tell everyone who can't accept me that this is who I am. He made me think about…the future. I'm so stupid. I almost threw away my chance at a future because of some high school dicks. I just can't explain where my mind was though. You understand that right?"

"Of course," she said.

"Kurt made me think about a future that I could have. The career, the family…"

"You have to follow your dreams David," she said earnestly. "You actually have to be around to live those dreams." '

"I feel stupid," he said honestly. "I slipped into a bad place and now that I'm not there I feel absolutely stupid. I have no desire to be dead right now. What an idiot…"

"Don't think that way," she suggested. "You're a good man with a good personality. You hit a low and made a mistake, but you survived for a reason. You survived to come back and make an amazing thing out of your life."

"I was weak and stupid…"

She couldn't help scold him. "David Karofsky," she said softly, putting on her own voice even though she wasn't in the right form at all. "I swear to God that I will smack you if you keep talking about yourself like that. You were in a horrible place and none of the people who should have been there were there. It's more than forgivable. I'm so thankful that you're alive today."

"I am too."

She could still feel the guilt and embarrassment in Dave so she reached out and touched his shoulder again. She swore she was going to be there for that boy, even if she had failed to do what she was supposed to do. "You need to promise me that if you ever feel that way again, you'll call," she said. "I know that I failed you but I won't let that asshole Jesse keep me from my boy again. I'm sorry I let my things take over me."

"It is not your fault…" he said with an almost amused laugh.

"You mean a ton to me, honey and you're an amazing guy. Take care of yourself, alright?"

Pretty soon, she was leaving her boy, hoping that he'd be okay.


	4. Chapter 4

Unique kept in contact with David as much as she could. Regionals approached quickly but she didn't let Jesse St. Jerkface take over her life again. He was a total jackass to her but put up with her because she was the best chance he had for a win. She spent as much time with Dave as she could and even took to meeting him at his house, since there was no way his father was going to let him sneak out any time after the suicide attempt.

She came over to his house one day and even met his father. Paul Karofsky was a really sweet man who looked absolutely overwhelmed and exhausted. It broke her heart to think about all he'd probably gone through, being the one to find Dave like that. He was a strong man and he seemed glad that Dave had a friend coming over to check on him. Unique was pretty sure that Paul Karofsky was glad to see that his son had a friend, period.

They sat in Dave's room talking for awhile and somehow the conversation turned to Regionals. "I don't want to be Wade anymore," he said. "Not when I get up on stage. I just want to go out there and rock a killer dress and heels that match our disco theme. Is that too much to ask?" She knew that in Lima, Ohio, it probably was, but it wasn't fair. "If I could just find a bit more bravery I'd go for it."

Even though her suggestion wasn't entirely serious, Dave paled at it. "I-I don't think you're prepared for that," he said. "I…no." Dave looked serious and her heart beat a little faster knowing that someone in her life was so concerned for her. She knew that coming out on stage in her true self could be dangerous, fatal even. She had seen the comments on Dave's Facebook page. She wasn't ready for someone to tell her to go die. She wasn't emotionally strong enough.

"I'm not ready for that," she admitted, agreeing with him. "The number is just way too fabulous for some guy who doesn't even exist. The real me could pull it off and make it something perfect. It would be the best number that Vocal Adrenaline has seen yet, seriously." She hated the way that she could picture her own performance in her head. It was perfect, but would never come to pass – or would it?

Dave looked at her. His expression was understanding but filled with sorrow. He had been through the worst and he didn't want his friend to suffer. "I'm just afraid that bullying someone who's…who's transgendered would be about a million times worse than the shit the kids at my school put me through." He took a deep breath and looked down. He looked ashamed and Unique thought that was an interesting reaction. He was being a great brave and protective friend.

"I just wanna be me and it sucks," she said. "You're amazing to me though, honey. I wish I had someone to give me advice on being me."

Dave's eyes lit up at that. "You need to talk to Kurt," he said. "You said that you've always wanted to talk to Kurt and now's your chance. I mean, seriously…he's…he may not be perfect but he's an expert at being himself. If you and Kurt talk maybe he can help you figure out what to do."

Unique paused. Now that wasn't a bad idea. She'd been dying to meet Kurt Hummel and Mercedes Jones anyway. 

Talking to Kurt and Mercedes went better than expected, honestly, but both had agreed that coming on stage as Unique was far too risky for the community they lived in. It was an argument with sound reasoning, so Unique took it for what it was, but it still hurt. It sucked so badly that the person she was wasn't the person her body made him out to be. It made her want to jump out of her own skin, as dramatic as that sounded.

Later, however, when Kurt and Mercedes came to her with a change of heart and a pair of heels something overtook her. She was tired. She wanted to be herself. She wanted to be the person that she was meant to be, not the name on her birth certificate. Vocal Adrenaline was all about the flash, color and talent and Unique was more than Wade would ever be. She was a diva that was meant for the stage and meant for the legacy of Vocal Adrenaline.

The day she decided that she was going to throw caution to the wind and do it, she and Dave had an online conversation about it. Dave seemed absolutely fearful. Even though it was selfish, one of the first messages she sent him begged him to come see her. "I need you there David," she had written. "I can't do it without knowing that you're in the audience." Maybe that was a bit clingy and let Dave in on more of what she was feeling than it needed to, but at the same time he needed to be there. He was her inspiration.

Dave's response was heart melting. "I wouldn't miss it for the world, U." He'd changed a lot in the past couple of weeks and even though Unique's performing as herself was against his best judgment, he still told her he wouldn't miss it for the world. He was an amazing friend.

As Regionals approached she became more and more nervous. She became even more nervous when Kurt and Mercedes came to her right before her performance to tell her not to do it. She couldn't back out by that point though. Not because she had no choice, but because she was overwhelmed by the sense of self that had come with the choice. Her identity didn't have to be a part time thing that she put on and took off. It could be her life. She didn't have to go hide in the Wade-cave again if she did this.

When she finally performed it was like a fire took off in her. Performing as herself was nothing like performing as Wade. Yes, Wade was sassy, energetic and a good singer but he was wrong. She was exactly right and the audience reaction was fantastic. As she strut across the stage she caught a glimpse of Dave near the front, a nervous smile on his face. It was all worth it, even as Jesse St. James started having an aneurism. Vocal Adrenaline, the professional machine that it was, didn't even miss a beat in time with their suddenly transformed lead. 

Track This  
Dave rushed backstage to see her while Jesse was still having his meltdown. He wasn't even talking directly to her, but was walking around, wringing his hands and mumbling about her. "Wade, I don’t know what the hell you were thinking. You are so lucky that it worked out…" She rolled her eyes at him and smiled at Kurt and Mercedes, who were both cheering her on.

"That was everything I've dreamed of for years," she told Kurt and Mercedes, who were caught between applauding her performance and laughing at the meltdown of Vocal Adrenaline's coach. "Seriously, I just don't know how to express what it means. Thank you so much for the encouragement. This was exactly what I was supposed to do and this is exactly the right time."

Dave paused, nervously and coughed. She turned around and threw her arms around him. "David!" she said, not even ashamed of the hug she gave the boy. "I saw you out there and it was just…so wonderful. Thank you."

"You really are a star…" he said, before awkwardly turning to look at Kurt and Mercedes. Needless to say, the pair looked surprised to see him there. The awkwardness filled the air.

"You two know each other?" Kurt asked Dave, tilting his head to the side.

Dave nodded and Unique couldn't keep the smile off of her face. "Dave is my boy," she said, still slightly holding onto Dave, clutching his arm. "We've been friends for quite awhile now." She looked over Dave's shoulder to see Jesse talking to some men with a bright, fake, animated expression. "Hell no," she said. "That boy is trying to take credit for my awesomness. Be right back." She figured that leaving Dave alone with Kurt was probably the best thing that she could do, as much as it pained her.

She turned to walk towards Jesse, but stopped herself for a moment. She didn't have to, but she felt she should do some kind of matchmaking now that she had Kurt and Dave in the same room. It was just her duty as a best friend. "I helped Dave with his plans a couple months ago," Unique told Kurt, leaning low so that only he could hear her. "I gotta tell you, as much as I admire you, you're missing out on something perfect." She then flounced off with a bounce in her step, eager to tell the men Jesse was bragging to that coming out as herself was all her idea.


	5. Chapter 5

Dave watched Unique as she talked to a bunch of her admiring fans. He couldn't help the swell of pride that hit him. She was fabulous and she had performed in her own skin. He hoped that she didn't face any terrible repercussions for what she had done, because it had been fantastic and had positively knocked him off of his feet. It had given him courage that he really needed at that point in time to stand up and make it through the day.

His eyes returned to Kurt, who was looking at him funny. "She's amazing isn't she?" Kurt asked with a slight laugh.

"She definitely is."

Kurt got a little bit closer, something that made Dave feel a little bit on the tense side. "How did you two meet?" he asked.

"We met at Scandals," Dave said, shifting and putting his hands in his pockets. "We hit it off pretty easily and became good friends. We've been talking for awhile. She's…pretty awesome." He didn't know how else to explain the situation that had made the two of them become friends.

"What did she mean about helping you out?"

At those words, Mercedes coughed. "Dave, hey, do you have a car with you?" When he nodded, she continued. "Can you give Kurt a ride home? I forgot that I have to go home and pick up my little cousin." She darted out of there faster than the speed of sound when he said that yes, he would. Obviously the girl didn't want to be involved in whatever it was that Kurt and Dave were talking about. Either Kurt had told her or she picked up on the awkward.

"Unique helped me out on Valentine's Day," Dave said, shrugging his shoulders and trying to relax. "She was actually the one to come up with my great disguise." It wasn't that embarrassing, talking about what he had done on Valentine's Day, but it still stung him. He hated that things had turned out as embarrassing as they had.

"It was a great idea," Kurt said awkwardly, looking up at Dave with a sheepish smile. "I mean, if things were different…they would have been different." He laughed softly at the stupidity of his own words. His face turned red and Dave couldn't help think he was the most attractive boy he had ever seen in his life.

"Yeah they sure would have," Dave muttered. "Let me drive you home now. She didn't really need to take off like that, but I'm glad to."

The whole situation was a little awkward. Kurt started telling Dave about his own glee club issues and Dave told him about the progress he'd been making since they last talked on the phone. Kurt was supportive, sweet and wonderful. Dave had never been more in love with him and it positively sucked. 

* 

Unique Adams had never been more in love with Dave Karofsky and it positively sucked. She had never wished more strongly that instead of being transgendered, she was a gay man. For awhile, when she'd first been experimenting with her gender identity, she wondered if she was a gay man, but Unique had come on too strong and she knew that the woman was part of her soul. She identified as a girl, as much as it made things three times harder. Still, she wished in that moment that she was a gay man so that she could have a shot with Dave. Dave was sexually confused enough in the wake of his harsh and brutal outing. He didn't need a transgendered girl with feelings for him. That would just make things worse.

She got home that night and checked out some of the show choir blogs for comments on her performance. To her surprise, they were all relatively positive. There was even a comment that said she was "an inspiration to those who are different." It was pretty amusing to her. She didn't feel like an inspiration for the different. She felt like a sullen teenage girl who was sad because a boy wasn't going to like her. Speaking of a boy not liking her, she realized quickly that she should text Dave to find out how things went with Kurt.

The response came pretty quickly.

From: Dave  
You kind of threw me under the bus there :( It went okay.

Concerned by the tone of the text, she asked him if he was okay. His response was something that Unique understood very, very well.

From: Dave  
I wish he liked me. I wish I had a chance.

She almost laughed at the way she felt the same. She shook her head and sent back her comforts to the boy. She promised him that the two of them would be able to hang out very soon. Maybe they could drive out to Columbus, or somewhere where they'd receive less of a hard time than Lima. She successfully distracted Dave from his unrequited love with promises of spending time out. Unfortunately, she didn't make herself feel any less pathetic with her feelings for him. Oh well, at least there was that.

Kurt Hummel was really an idiot if he didn't see what he stood to lose with Dave. Yes, he had a boyfriend and Unique respected relationships with the best off them, but at the same time, Kurt had such a fantastic chance with Dave Karofsky. Why didn't he understand that? The fact that he didn't made her sad. Of course at the same time she wished she could be the one in Kurt Hummel's shoes, something that sucked equally.


	6. Chapter 6

The rest of the school year went fast and Dave and Unique spent a lot of time together. Even though Unique found the whole experience distasteful, they met up most Wednesday s to go to Scandals. It was nice and when Dave wasn't studying to make up for lost school work and Unique wasn't preparing for Nationals, they needed each other. 

It was so awkward for Unique, when Dave talked about Kurt. She was trying to get over her crush on him, which wasn't easy when Kurt became a little more available. "Yeah, he told me that he and Blaine are taking a break," Dave said, looking up sheepishly. "I want to ask him out, but he honestly showed no interest before. It's probably a dumb idea. Plus, he's going to school in New York next year and I'm going to a junior college for a semester or two before I transfer out of state…" 

She was supportive of his feelings though. "David Karofsky," she said. "You two may only have a month left in the same state and may never fall head-over-heels in love but you better take the suddenly single Kurt Hummel as an opportunity or else I will hit you." 

"You'd hit me?" Dave asked, raising an eyebrow and winking at her. 

"Undoubtedly." 

"What about you?" he asked her. "You're going to Chicago for Nationals in a couple of weeks and then it's summer vacation. Someone has to have caught your eye while you skyrocketed to fame as the representative of the different teenager." Dave enunciated different with a roll of his eyes, knowing how much Unique hated that term. "How come you let me babble on and on about Kurt, but you've never even begun to tell me about a love interest for you?" 

She rolled her eyes and flipped her wig playfully. "I haven't told you about a love interest, David, because there isn't one." She hated lying to Dave, but she was not going to add to the boy's confusion. She'd already vowed not to make things any more difficult for Dave; the poor baby had already had one hell of a year. "No man is good enough for Unique, after all." 

"I'd probably wanna beat him up anyway," Dave mumbled. "Just to get a point across." 

She put her hands on her hips and glared at him. "Am I like your little sister or something David?" she asked. "I could take him myself." 

He rolled his eyes and pat her on the shoulder. "There, there, I get it." 

Although Unique and Dave both had rough years, the end of the school year went amazingly. After Nationals had passed, Dave had graduated and they were faced with a long summer, Dave and Unique found themselves sitting at the Lima Park talking. Unique was less afraid to go outside dressed as her true self, considering the fact that she was very well known throughout the state as Unique Adams rather than the lying counterpart that had always plagued her. 

"I can't believe how far we've come from the first time we met at Scandals," Dave said with a bright smile. He had come far. He had gone from being a scared little boy, deep in the closet, to an outed young man intent on killing himself, to where he was. He wasn't perfect but he had definitely taken baby steps towards the future and he was proud of himself. He had even gone on a lunch date with Kurt Hummel – although that was not a serious victory, it was a personal one for him. They'd acted as friends, for now, but they'd had a great time and promised to stay in touch even as Kurt took to New York to live his dreams. Dave had graduated from high school, something that didn't even seem possible at the bottom of his despair. 

"We have come a long way," Unique said smiling. When she first met Dave Karofsky at Scandals, the only place she ever dressed as her true self were: (a) her bedroom, with the door locked and (b) Scandals on Drag Queen Wednesday s. Now she had performed in front of the crowd at Nationals in her true skin and Vocal Adrenaline had come in second place. "We're good, baby, we're really good." She couldn't help herself, she wrapped her arms around Dave and hugged him tightly. 

It wasn't perfect. Dave still had a long way to go to achieve his dreams and go out and follow them and well, Unique had two more years of high school as a transgender student in Lima Ohio. Dave was sad that Kurt was going to Ohio and Unique was sad because her crush on Dave was nagging her constantly. 

They had one promise to each other though. They were doing it together.


End file.
